Structure



March 20, 1945. w. T. VAN ORMAN y 2,371,776

vSTRUCTURE Filed Feb. 9; 19425` Syvum/VDO@ Ward 7.' Vm? f/W @M im Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES sraucrvar.

Ward T. Van Orman, Akron, Ohio, allixnor to Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corpora- Y tion o! Delaware Application February 9, 1943, Serial No. 475,309

3C'laims.

This invention relates to a zipper closure designed for use on an inflated suit, such as that which might be used by a diver or by an aviator in high altitudes. The opening in the suit runs perpendicularly down the front of the body, preferably from the neck approximately to the waist. The closure is so designed that although made with a zipper, it is airtight, and the airtightness is insured by providing a flap which is highly flexible in the direction in which the zipper slides but is stiffened in the direction perpendicular thereto. The stiiening permits the wearer to bend forward or backward without being hampered by the stiening element although the transverse stiiening prevents the closurev flap from buckling and opening as the wearer bends forward or backward. The invention will be further described in connection with the accom` panying drawing which illustrates the invention although the structure claimed is not specifically limited thereto.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrates sections through the zipper-closing member which are blownup vertically so that relatively'the vertical dimensions the stiiening flap to make clear the structure of o the stiifening element. Fig. 5 is a section of the stiffening flap taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4. 4

In the drawing the two pieces I and 2 of the front of the suit are closed by the zipper arrangement 3, which is composed of the two interlocking halves 4 and 5. In Fig. l these halves are shown separated. They-are interlocked in Figs. 2 and 3. The interlocking arrangement is of the usual type. The halves of the zipper are mounted on the cloth members 8 and 9 in the usual way. These cloth members are stitched by the stitches I between two plies of airtight fabric. This fabric, for example, may be a rubber-impregnated and rubber-coated material. Instead of rubber, other suitable flexible, airtight plastics may be used, such as suitable polyvinyl compositions, etc. The plastics may be plasticized if necessary. Such plastics are now rather widely employed in the treatment of fabrics to make them watertight and airtight for a multitude of war materials. The two plies II and I2 of such impregnated fabric on each side of the zipper may be cemented together where they unite beyondthe fabric strips 6 and 9. Cement The two portions of the zipper thus held in the treated fabric may be united to the fabric I and 2 of the suit by cement. Cement is preferred to stitching where an airtight union is desired.

The zipper closure is made airtight by means v of a plurality of thin flaps I5 and I6 which are drawn to a feathered edge. In the drawing the vertical heights are relatively several times the horizontal distances. As shown to scale actual l0 size, the iiaps I5 and I6 would actually be about is inch thick and 2 inches in width. In order to provide a tight iit for the inner end of the iiap I5 a cushioning material I1 is incorporated` into the suit. The feathered edge I8 of this l5 cushion I1 forms with the flap I6 a tapered opening in which the feathered point I9 of the flap I5 forms a snug nt. The cushion I1 may be cemented to the coated fabric II and the suit material 2, and the flap I6 may fbe cemented t0 this cushion IL The ap I5 may likewise be cemented to the cushion material IfI. In practice, it has been found advantageous to insert a tape of rubberized fabric ZI) along each edge of the opening to prevent the stitches from distorting the flaps and especially the seating ap The cushion I1 may be made of rubber stock or other plastic material.v The ap I5 may be made of similar material and is preferably reinforced as, for example, by two plies of fabric.

The stiiening element i`s' embedded in the flap I6. It comprises a serpentine wire 26, which is,

for example, piano Wire .025 inch in diameter. This wire, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 4, is looped back and forth to give a transverse stiiening without appreciably stiiening the longitudinal dimension of the closure. The diameter of the arc at each end of each of the bends o of the wire-reinforcing element 25 may, for extageously covered with a sheet or two of fabric 26, which is most clearly illustrated in the section shown in Fig. 5.

Although one form of the invention has Ibeen shown in detail. it is to be understood that various modifications are permissible Within the scope of the claims. For example, it is not necessary to use wire as the stiiening element. v The zipper need not be mounted in exactly the manner shown herewith. Various other modicafor this purpose is indicated by the numeral I3. 56 tions in the arrangement shown are possible.

What I claim is:

1. In an inflated suit a zipper closure. each half of the zipper being joined to a separate portion of the suit; a flap joined to one of said p0rtions of the suit which is flexible longitudinally of the zipper and stili in a direction transverse thereto; and attached to the other portion of the suit a flap which fits snugly between the first-mentioned flap and the portion of the suit to which said first-mentioned ap is attached.

2. In an inflated suit an airtight closure down the front of the suit which comprises a Zipper, each half of which is attached to a diiferent portion of the suit; a flexible iiap with a feathered edge attached to one of said portions of the suit, which flap fits against onek side of the zipper when closed and the feathered edge of which nts snugly between the other portion of the suit and another flap which ts over the first-mentioned flap, said second-mentionedilap being stiiened transversely and being highly flexible in the 1ongitudinal direction.

3. In an inflated suit an airtight closure down the `front of the Isuit which comprises a zipper, each half of which is attached to a different portion of the suit; a flexible fiap with a feathered edge attached to one of said portions of the suit, which flap fits against one side of the Zipper when closed and the feathered edge of which ts snugly between the other portion of the suit and another flap which fits over the first-mentioned ilapsaid second-mentioned fiap comprising a serpentine wire reinforcement which runs lengthwise of the flap and stiens the ilap transversely while leaving it highly flexible in the longitudinal direction.

WARD T. VAN ORMAN. 

